1. Field of the Invention
The present embodiments relate to a vehicular steering column and, more particularly, to a tilt fixing device for a vehicular steering column.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recent automobiles are provided with steering columns having additional telescopic or tilting functions for driver convenience. Telescopic devices enable the steering columns to extend and contract in the axial direction, and tilting devices are configured to adjust the angle of the steering columns.
The tilting operation of such a steering column is applied by fastening and unfastening an adjustment lever. When the adjustment lever is fastened, a movable gear coupled to an end of a lever bolt meshes with a stationary gear such that no tilting operation occurs. When the adjustment lever is unfastened, the stationary gear and the movable gear disengage from each other and enable the tilting operation.
However, conventional automobile steering columns have a problem in that, during the tilting operation, threads of the stationary gear and threads of the movable gear may engage with each other (tooth-on-tooth phenomenon), failing to provide the desired locking. This degrades the driver's feeling of lever manipulation and, even worse, may fracture the lever or the gears, inconveniencing the driver.
Furthermore, if unstable fixing of the steering column due to the tooth-on-tooth phenomenon of gears is followed by a collision of the automobile, the steering column pops up in the tilting direction, making it impossible to secure the driver's safety.